


Walk Away

by McKayRulez



Series: Dark & Disturbed Stargate [14]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Dark, Death, M/M, Mission Fic, Missions Gone Wrong, Psychological Trauma, Sad, Wraith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 08:55:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18617341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKayRulez/pseuds/McKayRulez
Summary: It was just supposed to be a normal trading mission.





	Walk Away

It was a normal trading mission. 

John parked the Jumper a little out of reach from the village. Teyla said the natives were easily spooked, so they were going to walk the rest of the way on foot. Sheppard and McKay walked through a clearing. John was up ahead of him as Rodney had stopped to get a rock out of his shoe. While Teyla and Ronon were off to the East together, separated from the Colonel and McKay to appear in smaller, less threatening groups. Also in case the skittish natives in hiding would only show up for Teyla alone. 

Suddenly, as John walked there was a click and he stopped. 

Rodney slowly made his way to catch up. 

“Stop!” John held his hand up. 

“What?” Rodney asked, eyes scanning the forest as he neared. 

The sound of the stargate activated and the whirl of Dart engines could be heard. 

“Damn it Rodney, stop walking!” He clicked his radio. “Ronon, Teyla?” 

“Yes?” Teyla’s voice was heard. “We hear them. The Wraith are here.” 

“We got more problems then them right now. Whatever you do stop moving.” 

Rodney’s eyes kept scanning the area. “What’s going on?” 

“What’s wrong, John?” Teyla’s voice also asked. 

John’s eyes scanned the grass carefully. “The place is littered with mines.” 

“They must have thought the Wraith would come for them on foot?” Teyla guessed. 

“Or they were trying to keep runners or someone else away.” Ronon added. 

“Everyone get back to the Jumper carefully and then wait them out under the cloak. Watch where you’re going.” 

“Understood.” Ronon replied and then they shut off their comms to be safe, in case the wraith were monitoring them. 

“McKay. Go.” 

Rodney turned to leave then stopped. He looked back realizing Sheppard wasn’t following. His stomach fluttered ill. “What about you?” 

“I… Can’t.” 

Rodney’s eyes scanned the ground. He didn’t want to believe it as the sickness in his stomach intensified. “Are you-”

“Yeah.” He cut off. “If I move this thing will blow.” 

“I can disconnect it.” Rodney took a few determined steps forward.

“Stop!” John yelled and Rodney gazed at him wide eyed, frozen at his anger. “I didn’t notice it at first, because I wasn’t looking for them… But this whole clearing is littered with them. If one goes off..” 

“It’ll set a chain reaction.” Rodney finished lowly. 

Sheppard took a deep breath. “Yeah.” 

“Just.. Just tell me where they are. I can make it to you.” 

“I can’t, Rodney. I’m not a metal detector.” 

“Well, you made it over there. So can I!” Rodney announced. 

“No offence, Rodney… But I weigh a lot less than you.” 

He crossed his arms. “Offense taken.”

“I just mean.. I’m pretty sure these are weight sensitive.” 

“Fine…” Rodney’s eyes nervously darted left and right. “Okay. What’s the device look like?” 

Sheppard lowered his brow confused. “I don’t know! It’s under my foot!” 

“Look.” Rodney raised his hands. “Maybe I can tell you how to disable it, if you can describe what it looks like.” 

John looked up at the sky as the sounds of wraith darts flew over head. “I don’t think I have that long.” 

“Look, focus Colonel. Do you see anything?” Rodney demanded forcefully. 

The sounds of Wraith beams and screams were heard in the distance. “Walk away, Rodney.” 

“No.” 

“Damn it, Rodney. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” 

“I’m not leaving you. That’s what you always say and do, right? Never leave anyone behind.” 

“Ronon and Teyla are counting on someone to use the cloak on the Jumper, and you have the gene.” 

“I’m not going.” 

John’s eyes narrowed in the distance, as he saw a wraith dart approaching straight ahead. “Rodney. Walk away.” 

“No!” 

“Once that Dart gets me, this whole place will blow! Do you understand that, McKay!” John said forcefully. “Go! Now!”

There were tears in McKay’s eyes. “I can’t.” 

“I don’t want to kill you too Rodney.” 

Rodney shook as he stared at him. As still as stone as death approached. “I don’t want you to die.” His voice shook.

“And you're asking me to kill you.” 

The dart activated it’s beam. The gleam of the light pouring over the ground it swept over, and a numb cold washed over Rodney as reality set in. 

“Walk away." 

Rodney stared at him one last time then slowly turned and walked away. Behind him the sound of the beam grew stronger and then an explosion. Rodney fell forward as the impact of the explosion knocked him off his feet. He looked back over his shoulder, as broken wraith dart pieces fell around him and the clearing kept exploding all around him. The forest outside the clearing catching fire. 

\--

It was just supposed to be a normal trading mission. 

That’s what he kept telling himself after it ended. 

Just another run of the mill gate trip. Same old, same old. 

“Rodney?” 

He looked up at Teyla, from the locker bench where he had been sitting, staring into space for the past half hour since coming back through the stargate. 

His eyes were wet and unseeing as he mumbled. 

“It was just supposed to be a normal trading mission.”


End file.
